Users of computing-based devices have become accustomed to the benefits of networks, such as the Internet. Without proper security, however, networked devices are susceptible to trespass by entities such as hackers, who often endeavor to misappropriate private information as well as disseminate harmful malicious software (“malware”) on networked devices.
One current technique to thwart trespassers involves the use of firewalls. Generally, firewalls attempt to allow devices to receive good communications that exclude commands from trespassers, while rejecting bad communications that potentially include commands from hackers. Unfortunately, however, differentiating good and bad communications is often very difficult, resulting in several inefficiencies.
For example, a typical firewall may perform reasonably well at protecting customers from direct network-level attacks from the Internet, while performing poorly at allowing customers to receive routine traffic from devices on a local network, such as a home network. Moreover, the complexity of firewalls makes them difficult to use, with the skills needed to effectively customize a firewall often outstripping the knowledge of most users.
Consequently, many users become frustrated with firewalls and resort to opening potentially sensitive ports on a firewall, or switching off a firewall entirely, in order to receive routine communications. This vitiates the firewall's effectiveness, and renders the networked device protected by the firewall susceptible to potentially harmful trespass.